Cook'n Software - Review

I will have to admit that I have an addiction to cookbooks. My collection keeps getting bigger and bigger each year. Since my collection is getting so big I have been allowed only 2 shelves of my favorite cookbooks on our bookshelf in the living room. If I was to have all of them out I would need a couple bookshelves. So for now the rest are in boxes in the closet.

When I found out I was chosen to review the Cook'n software I was super excited. Ok, that might be a little under exaggerated. Any thing that has to do with recipes and cooking I am all about. I just have to say that this program ROCKS!!! It is the coolest recipe software I have ever used. I have tried out several different cookbook software (trial version) when I decided to make a cookbook for my local MOPS group and hated them all. They were difficult to use or I hated the way that it made the recipes appear. I just ended up making it in a word document, which seemed to take forever. If I would have had this program, it would have made my life much easier during that time. One thing I found that the company does that is neat is that when you purchase the software they give you a code to download one of their cookbooks. I ended up downloading the Cook'n Taste of Home cookbook.
Below is a list of the "coolest" features it has in my opinion.

The 1st cool feature: Can you think of a time when you searched the internet for the perfect recipe for something and then later on tried to remember where you found it but couldn't? Well this program will put an end to that. It has it's own search bar and when you find the recipe you want all you have to do is save it. It will do all the work for you and it even save the picture that goes along with the recipe.

The 2nd cool feature: Have you ever decided to make a recipe and wrote down the recipe only to find out you forgot to write down how much you needed? When you find a recipe you want all you have to do is click the ingredients tab and it will bring up a list of the ingredients. The first thing I noticed with this is that it has the cost of the items associated with the ingredients. So now I know how much I need of an item and around how much it will cost. Now say there is an item that you already have, there are little boxes next to the cost that you check if you have the item.

The 3rd cool feature: Even though it's not available yet for the Iphone or Ipad (they have their app available for the Android), they have apps that will connect your phone to the computer's version of Cook'n so it makes it easy to sync certain recipes to your phone. When I watched the video on their website it showed that you can sync the recipe to your phone and use it as your shopping list. How neat is that.

There are so many more features to this, from making your own cookbook to finding out the nutritional value of your recipe that I could write a book on this fantastic software program. If you are interested in learning more about this software please head on over and check out their recipe software

How would you like to try Cook'n? If so please click here to request your trial.

Oh, I forgot to let you know about their gurantee. They have a 200% guarantee, if you purchase their software and are unhappy with it for any reason (within 30 days of purchase) they will not only refund you your money but they will purchase you your recipe software of your choice.



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Couponing: The Extreme Video Course - Review

When I found out I was selected to review Couponing: The Extreme Video Course I was super excited. I was thinking "finally, something that I can use to help me master my coupon skills".... I sat down and watched all 14 videos and after watching them I didn't feel like I really learned anything new. Now if I had never been shopping with coupons before this would be a great tutorial. The video sound quality isn't very good and some of them I turned the volume down as far as I could while still hearing because it was hard to listen and pay attention too. The only saving grace to that is they have a worksheet that tells you everything they are saying word for word. I personally couldn't see spending $37 for this video course. It goes over different stores and how to coupon their, but with a little looking you could save yourself the money and look online. The one thing I did like about this website is she has an area for helpful tips, but the only thing I found that would be useful to me is the coupon binder organizer part. I have been trying to find a great way to organize my binder (right now it's by aisle) and I will try and implement this when I add/take out my coupons. The other thing that I did notice is that she kept trying to direct you to savings angel, an online place to help cut your bill. I understand she is trying to help people save money but I hate when I feel like I should be directed and subscribed to a place in order to save me money. That it's the best/only way to grab all those deals. All in all, you can find this information on your own but if you want to check it out, please go to her website Stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

OVER - icaughtsanta.com giveaway

Congratulations to:
Entry #5Derrick H.
Entry #68Lisa T.
Entry #50Cassandra A.
Entry #38Sarah S.
Entry #70Wendi R.


I think this is the neatest idea for Christmas time. I'm going to surprise my kids with a picture of Santa putting presents under the tree and put them in their stocking.

One of the first things I noticed about this website is all the different poses that you can put Santa in. There are 20 different Santa poses/pictures that you can add to your own picture that you capture. You can add a border to the picture too. You can mess around with the color and brightness of Santa. You can flip him, change his size. This is great to be able to modify it the picture just how you want.

To check it out, please visit icaughtsanta.com

BUT now comes the best part... I have 5 picture codes to give away. If you would like to win a picture code (value $9.99) please enter below. I will be emailing the link code to the winners so please make sure you give me a valid email address when entering.


a Rafflecopter giveaway





I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Decorative Ceiling Tiles

I recently had the opportunity to review Decorative Ceiling Tiles. At first when I received my tiles (1 faux tin celing tile and 1 Styrofoam ceiling tile) I wasn't expecting them to be so big. I was impressed with how pretty the faux tin tile looked. I personally think these drop ceiling tiles would look wonderful in a kitchen or a master bedroom. I have also seen photographers use these tiles as back drops.

The first thing my little crafty mind thought about is all the possibilities that I could make with this one tile. The first thing I thought of was how great this would be to cut the inside out and make a mirror out of it. Then I kept thinking "what can I do with the rest of this?". . . . My mind keep going and I thought that the middle would make a lovely centerpiece. SO now I'm thinking I would cut the very center out and place a candle in there to make a beautiful center piece. Now if I did both of these, I have a wonderful mirror, and great centerpiece and then one piece left to do something with. . . What should I do with it? WELL how about a Christmas ornament? So now I took this tile that cost $9.99 and turned it into 3 great gifts/items for any house.

With the foam tile my husband came up with a great idea. What he is going to do is color all the lines with different colors and then cut out areas to put pictures in. What a great Christmas gift for grandparents.

*Im in the process of making these so pictures to come soon

Here is a picture of the tile as I received it

Here is a picture of my new mirror frame. I just need to add the mirror and then a frame to hold it. (I also need to paint the back so it doesn't show up on the mirror as being white)

Here is a picture after I did the 1st cut-out

My new center piece, ok well almost... Just one more part to cut out
 

My new center piece. I added a candle to the center and then to cover the hole in the middle I added flowers around the candle. 

The very center that I cut out. I'm going to finish the edges and add a back to this and turn it into an ornament for the tree. 

Click here to take you to Faux Tin Glue Up Install

Click here to take you to Faux Tin Drop Ceiling Tiles Installation

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

OVER - Affordable Getaways

I recently had the opportunity to be part of Redweek.com. This is a timeshare website. I never really thought too much about timeshares until I had this opportunity to review them. After taking a look around on their website, there are so many places that I would love to take my family to for a vacation. Some of the places are much cheaper then if you were to go through online travel places. One of the first things that stood out to me is that you will be renting a place that is plenty big enough for your family. I hate when you travel and are stuck in a small hotel room. I'm excited to take advantage of my membership and to be in a place that will be fully furnished. Most places have kitchens, which means less money to spend eating out and more money to spend on seeing attractions.

I copied this right from RW

The advantages to renting a timeshare directly from an owner include:

1) Timeshare rentals typically cost up to 50% less than cramped hotel rooms. During the off-season some timeshare rentals can cost less than plain, small, motel rooms.

2) They are spacious: the kids can have their own bedroom which means the parents can stay up late in the living room while the kids go to bed early.

3) Most come with a kitchen so you can save money on the cost of meals.

4) Things to do: Most are attached to a resort (hotel) where many of the amenities (waterpark features, children's playgrounds, arcade game rooms, etc.) are included in the rental price.

RedWeek is an online marketing site, with over 1.5 million members, where owners list their timeshares for rent. A Redweek.com membership gives access to all of the information on timeshare rental listings on RedWeek.com, including reviews, and the ability to engage in rental agreements with great budget-friendly offerings.

Now for the best part... How would you like to win a 2 year membership to Redweek.com? If so please enter below.





I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

OVER - Prefense Hand Sanitizer and Giveaway - Over

Please read my review and enter my giveaway at the bottom.

Congrats Bev for entering. I hope you love this stuff as much as I do.

I first want to say how much I LOVE THIS STUFF. . . . Sorry, I had to put that in caps because I love this product that much. I have very bad dry hands/eczema and I am constantly washing my hands which only makes it worse. When I got my sample I was excited to tried it out. It felt different then any other hand sanitizer then I have ever used. At first it felt strange to me, I've used the alcohol based ones for years. After I rubbed this on my hands they felt smooth thanks to the fact that they use silica instead of alcohol. It didn't make my hands feel sticky or yuck and also I like the fact that it doesn't have a strong smell. The scent is very light and it smells clean. I decided to test it out with washing my hands next. I loved the fact that my hands still stayed smooth feeling after washing.

Mixbook Review

I recently had the opportunity to order and review 5X7 flat cards. I got the chance to order mine on the premium paper, which is worth the extra money. They turned out beautiful and they were super easy to make. I was trying to decide what background to use on mine so I played around with a few different ones. I was able to add different touches to each of the backgrounds until I found the perfect one for my family. There are so many different options of backgrounds, layouts, and plenty of added extras. I was highly impressed with how easy it was to make little adjustments to make them exactly what I wanted. When I was ordering I seen that there wasn't an option for different envelopes and was kinda bummed that I was going to get just plain white. I was thinking they were going to be some cheap thin thing but I was wrong. For being a white envelope they are pretty nice. I used a dark(er) green background for mine and once in the envelopes you can't see what kind of card it is. I can't wait to send out my cards and see what others think of them. I will definitely be using them for future cards.

To check them out on Facebook please chick here, you can find them on Twitter here, and/or check them out on their website here.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

An Alphabet Trip to the Limerick Zoo - review

I recently had an opportunity to review this book. The first thing that popped out at me is all the colors. I love how colorful it is. It has a different animal and picture for every letter of the alphabet.

Now the part for my review. I really wanted to like this book but I would give it a 2 stars out of 5. This book cost $9.99, now granted you can share this book with up to 6 friends, but I personally wouldn't pay that for this book. I find that most of the pictures aren't colored professionally. I understand that this is a child's book, but for that price I would expect better quality in the pictures. In most of the pictures you can see the marker marks standing out.

I tried to read this book to my children. Normally they LOVE to sit down and have me read to them but about half way through they got bored and left. I finally got my son to come back and finish the book with me. I ended up having to stop at "Q" because it talks about a Quagga and how they are dead. Yep, the word dead is in the book. I understand that death is a part of life but I hate to have to explain to my child about why it is in a child's book.

After reading this book and reading it with my kids, I personally don't feel like I can recommend it. This is just my opinion and there are plenty of other reviews that just absolutely loved this book. If your interested in checking it out for yourself please head over to their website. There is also a Youtube video here if you are interested in seeing some of the pages.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Weirder Than Marshmallows

I recently had the chance to review this book published by NightFire Publications. This book is a great easy read about those little things in life that are like "duh". . . In the book it says "Weirder Than Marshmallows showcases tales of stupidity and ignorance in the hopes of making people laugh." This book has 5 different categories which are:

Do Not Stop on Tracks (showcases warnings that should never have to be warned)
En Masse (contains stories of mass ignorance)
Technology Sucks (explores the hazards of the technological age)
That's Just Freaky (features Twilight Zone like tales of paranormality)
Weird Stuff (is stuff that is… well, weird)

Once I started to read this I couldn't put it down. It was so funny reading some of the stories in the book that I found myself busting out and having my kids give me a strange look. Some of the things written are like "DUH" or "DINK DINK DINK, we have a winner". It's those stories you hear online or see on TV that just makes you think about what were they truly thinking when this happened.

I love reading books like this that just real easy reads that I can pick up through out the day and it doesn't matter how long it was since the last time you read it, you can pick it right back up. I would recommend this book as just one of those funny little books that would be great to read anytime or anywhere.

One of my favorite stories in this book has to deal with a local little fast food joint and what ended up involving a judge. And nope this isn't the coffee lady story, this one is even better in my opinion. I don't want to give too much away so if you are interested in reading this story you can enter my giveaway or download the book.

If you are interested in checking this book out, please click here to be taken right to the book on Amazon.

Please enter my giveaway for a chance to win this book.





I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Party Planning Checklist

I recently had the opportunity to review Party Planning Checklist from Theme Party Queen. I found this such an easy way to make sure that everything is done. A couple things I really liked about this is that it has the menu, a grocery list and also a place to make sure everything is set up (like tables and garbage cans). I know the last time I hosted a party I was scrambling about an hour before my guest were to arrive because I had forgotten to grab a couple things at the store. With these simple checklists I know that this will never happen again. She has everything neatly prepared to make sure that your party goes perfectly. I can't wait to put this in place and use it for my next party. If you would like to grab your own copy for FREE please stop by Theme Party Queen's website. There are a few options to grab this, including "liking" her facebook page.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Healthy Eating For Kids book

I recently had the opportunity to review the book Healthy Eating for Kids. I loved all the different kid friendly recipes, 60 in all. I am a cookbook junkie and there were many new recipes to me. The only improvement is I would have really liked to see a few pictures of some of the recipes. The book is set up very simple and I love that it has a different recipe on each page. I love this because it would be easy to print off a page for just the recipe(s) you would like. When I print off recipes, I put them in sheet protectors and then into a binder. Makes it easy when your in the kitchen because if you splash something, all you do is take a rag and wipe it clean. Printing out this book and putting it in a binder would make a great edition to your house.

I try to feed my kids as healthy as I can so this will be a great edition to my family. I can't wait to try some of these recipes with my kids. If you would like to check this book out on Amazon please click here.


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

How to Stop Procrastinating book review

When I first read the title I was thinking to myself "This is what I need to keep on track". I'm a very busy person with being a full time student and mother. On top of that I decided to add a blog to my plate so I definitely needed to find a way to help get everything done that needs to get done. The first thing I noticed in the book is that it recommends putting one of 4 levels to everything on your to-do list. This goes from something that needs to be done on a time limit to something that you would like to get done like a craft. This book goes into how to help you work more productively with taking breaks and other methods of getting everything done. One thing I will start using is a spreadsheet for my to-do items. I won't give much away from this book, but I am glad that I had a chance to review this book. I think it will help me get everything done from school work to laundry and give me more time for my family. If you are interested in checking this book out on Amazon please click here.


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

OVER - Best Practices for Coupon Sites Review and Giveaway

I first want to thank Deborah Carney with NightFire Publications for allowing me to review this book. As I started reading it I enjoyed the way it was set up. I could imagine these people really doing the podcast that this book is written from. At first I wasn't too sure what to expect from this book, I wasn't sure if they were going to try and sell me something or convince me that I needed to be involved with certain sites. That is the farthest from what this book is about. I loved how they put that you need to put effort into your blog instead of just copy/paste things on your blog and how to deal with coupons on your blog/site. I don't want to give anything away from this book but I'm very glad that I got a chance to read it. It's given me ideas on how to improve my blog and how I can try and make my blog stand out from others.

Picture Book About Turkeys

I first want to thank Leslie Nazarian for giving me the opportunity to review this book. This is a cute 18 page book on turkeys. As I was reading this book to my son he told me he learned in school that turkey's can't fly. I didn't see anything in the book about this so I started to do a little research on turkey's. I love the pictures but I was having a hard time keeping my 4 yr old's attention reading this to him. Because of this I feel like this book is missing something. Normally he will have me read a new book a few times back to back. I think the idea of the book is great, just needs a little tweaking for something that cost $2.99 to download.

This book, Picture Book About Turkeys can be purchased on Amazon for $2.99.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Fun Printable Games

First I want to say thank you to Python Printable Games for allowing me to review their Fall trivia ebook. This ebook has 57 pages that consist of games, coloring pages, and invites. I was impressed with the set-up of this book. It starts off with fall trivia questions and then the next couple pages are the answers.
Here is an example of a question: What do trees stop producing which causes their leaves to change color?
The next 15 pages are cute coloring pages that range from generic pages to holiday pages. Next on the list is what they call the "Pub Quiz". There are 7 different categories. The first few pages of this are the questions with answers.
Here is an example of a question: What famous blonde pig was known to target her equally famous frog co-star with karate chops and unwanted kisses? MISS PIGGY
At the end, mine came with 12 pages of different party invites and then the remaining 8 pages are more coloring pages.

One thing I really liked about this is that once I print the questions it would be easy to make copies and bring to a party or game night. My kids love to color so this is great because while they are busy coloring pages the adults can have a great time finding out who will be king/queen of the trivia. I will definitely be bringing this ebook to my next game night.

If you are interested in grabbing one of these ebooks, you can only get it from Python Printable games. Please note that the eBook is only available to subscribers of the Python Printable Games newsletter. If you head over there they have a free download right now and also have 15% off with using BOO15.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Giovanni's - Maryville TN

Please know that I received nothing for this post (and won't receive anything either). I just LOVE this place so much that when we were eating there last night I asked if I could put them on my blog.

This is a great little family owned restaurant with outstanding Italian food. My family has never left hungry and usually we bring home leftovers. Normally I will grab the Alfredo or the Paradiso Marino (Alfredo with shrimp and imitation crab along with tomatoes and spinach YUM YUM YUM) since my kids gobble both of these up. Thanks to the paradiso dish I can get my kids to eat spinach. Granted it has to have his Alfredo sauce on it but they gobble it up. Last night I think I found a new love in an eggplant dish. My husband decided to try something new called Eggplant Aurora and oh was it soooooooooo good (*drool). Everything I have tried has been great. And they have a variety from pizza's to desserts. If you live around Maryville TN (or going to visit around the Knoxville area) and haven't tried this place yet please head over here.

During the week if we grab lunch out we will hit up their lunch specials. Great portions and price.

They have lunch specials Monday - Friday for $4.85.
Monday - cheese ravioli
Tuesday - spaghetti with meat sauce
Wednesday - baked ziti
Thursday - meat ravioli
Friday - lasagna

They also have a lunch special on Sundays which is lasagna and salad.

Giovanni's Italian Restaurant
331 Suite #4 Whitecrest Drive
Maryville, TN 37801

Phone: 865-980-5656

Business hours are:
Sunday – Thursday: 11:00am – 9:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 11:00am – 10:00pm

Their website is still under construction but if you would like to check it out please click here

My Caring Cross

I first want to thank Angus Reid with My Caring Cross for choosing me to review this product. When I found out I was chosen for this review I felt blessed to be able to show others in my life this cross and a part of Bethlehem. After I received this beautiful cross the first thing that came to mind was all the people I know that could use something like this. This smooth olive wood cross fits nicely in your hand and have a great little bag to carry it around in your purse. I think this is the perfect size to carry around with you wherever you go. Issa (the gentleman that makes them) has done a wonderful job making them. You can see the care placed into making each of these and I love the fact that no two will be identical.

When I received my caring cross for review it came to 2 bags. A burgundy bag (with authenticity card which comes with a verse) and a cream bag (with a display card that is perfect for weddings). This would make a great gift for anyone.

I would like to share the story about this cross: Issa, a Christian living on the outskirts of Bethlehem, has been carving crosses and other religious items his whole life. He supports a wife and three children. Currently Bethlehem has had a major decline in tourism and because of this Christian Artisans there are struggling. My Caring Cross is trying to help provide a market for these beautiful olive wood crosses to people across America.

If you are interesting in learning more or to purchase a beautiful olive wood cross please click here.



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Bryton Pick

I want to first say thank you to Bryton Pick for allowing me to review their product. When I found out I was chosen to review it I was excited. When I got my Bryton Pick I couldn't believe how small and compact it is. I first started with my front teeth and loved how easy it is to use. I ran into a problem with my molars. My teeth are so close/tight that I had a problem and couldn't use the Bryton Pick on those teeth. Please know that I have the old type of fillings so that added to the problem of not being able to use the product. Even though this product didn't work for my entire mouth I would recommend it to others. I love how easy it is to hold and the fact that it comes in its own little pouch that can fit right into your wallet or purse. If you are interested in learning more or to purchase please visit their site by clicking here.



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.